Distributed control system operation and configuration
First Claim
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1. A lighting control system, comprising:
- a plurality of lighting system input components;
a plurality of lighting system control components, wherein the input components do not contain any information about the control components other than an associated address for each control component, and the control components do not contain any information about the input components other than an associated address for each input component;
a communications link communicatively coupling the plurality of lighting system input components and the plurality of lighting system control components so that each of the plurality of lighting system input components can communicate directly with each of the plurality of lighting system control components through the communication link so that a central controller is not needed to process the information from the plurality of lighting system input components; and
a master component communicatively coupled to the communications link, the master component configured to maintain a schedule of operating mode changes and to transmit a schedule change signal to change the operating modes through the communications link in accordance with the schedule, wherein an operating mode is a configuration that determines how a control component operates.
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Abstract
A control system including an input component configured to receive an input and generate control information in response to the input; a communication link coupled to the input component; and a plurality of control components, each of the control components coupled to the input component through the communication link and configured to receive the control information and to actuate an associated actuator in response to the control information.
33 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A lighting control system, comprising:
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a plurality of lighting system input components; a plurality of lighting system control components, wherein the input components do not contain any information about the control components other than an associated address for each control component, and the control components do not contain any information about the input components other than an associated address for each input component; a communications link communicatively coupling the plurality of lighting system input components and the plurality of lighting system control components so that each of the plurality of lighting system input components can communicate directly with each of the plurality of lighting system control components through the communication link so that a central controller is not needed to process the information from the plurality of lighting system input components; and a master component communicatively coupled to the communications link, the master component configured to maintain a schedule of operating mode changes and to transmit a schedule change signal to change the operating modes through the communications link in accordance with the schedule, wherein an operating mode is a configuration that determines how a control component operates. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of operating a lighting control system, comprising:
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establishing the lighting control system with a plurality of input components, a plurality of control components, and a communications link communicatively coupling the plurality of input components and the plurality of control components so that each of the plurality of input components can communicate directly with each of the plurality of control components through the communication link so that a central controller is not needed to process the information from the input components;
wherein the input components do not contain any information about the control components other than an associated address for each control component and the control components do not contain any information about the input components other than an associated address for each input component; andmaintaining, at a master component, a schedule of operating mode changes, wherein an operating mode is a configuration that determines how a control component operates; and
transmitting, from the master component, a schedule change signal through the communications link to change the operating modes. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification